Badgers Survive Another Weak Offensive Performance At Home

Just when it seemed that Wisconsin men’s basketball had turned a corner with the upset win Sunday at Ohio State, UW got cold yet again at home, somehow surviving a 30% effort from the field en route to a 52-45 win over struggling Minnesota.

The first half Tuesday night can best be described as ugly. After making three of their first four shots, the Badgers (11-6 Big Ten, 22-8 overall) were just 1/17 from the field over the final 16:26 of the half, their only field goal in that span coming on a three-point shot by senior guard Jordan Taylor with 12:34 remaining. Neither team cracked the 25% mark from the field, with the two teams combining for just nine made baskets as the Gophers (5-12 Big Ten, 17-13 overall) took a 23-16 lead into the locker room.

“You just have to go back to thinking of ways to score,” Taylor said. “We were trying to get more movement in the offense. I was able to get a post touch and from there it’s all about being aggressive and trying to make the play.”

To their credit, the Badgers came out strong in the 2^nd half. Finally getting a jumper by Taylor to go just over a minute and a half in, UW scored nine of the first 11 points of the half. Wisconsin was finally about to knot the game at 25 after a controversial three-point play by junior forward Mike Bruesewitz that was initially ruled a charge only to be overturned following a lengthy conference amongst the officials.

“An official can make the call and if he is not sure, he can go ask the other official…” UW head coach Bo Ryan said after the game. “That’s what they did.”

“I thought I got there,” Bruesewitz said. “I thought he was in the circle, that’s why I went up.”

Sparked by their good fortune, the Badgers took control of the game from there. Taylor was back to his usual self after a tough first half, finishing with a game-high 22 points on 4-of-9 shooting and 11-of-12 from the field throw line. Taylor’s 17 second-half points (out of UW’s 36) got the Minnesota to the twenty-point mark for just the 3^rd time this season, with two of them coming against the Gophers.

On the other end it was once again freshman guard Andre Hollins giving the Badgers fits on the defensive end. After coming off the bench to score 20 against UW in Minneapolis, the Memphis, Tenn native again led the Gopher scoring, this time with 18 points, 13 of those in the first half alone.

“He took more shots than anyone in the game so I thought he was pretty aggressive,” Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith said of Hollins. “Unfortunately he couldn’t make any of them {in the 2^nd half}.”

Wisconsin was able to adjust at the half and ultimately that was enough to get them the win they needed to clinch a spot in the top four in the Big Ten standings and thus clinch a first-round bye in next weekend’s Big Ten Tournament.

“We didn’t do a good job of throwing the first blow or getting out to a good start,” Taylor said. “But we did a good job in the 2^nd half of turning things around.”

One thing that allowed the Badgers to quickly regain control of the game was their ability to finally get to the free throw line. With Minnesota committing seven fouls in the first 5:35 of the 2^nd half, Wisconsin had the benefit of being in the bonus for the majority of the backstretch. The Badgers took advantage, hitting 15-of-20 free throws in the 2^nd half en route to a comparatively explosive 36-point output.

“Getting to the free throw line was definitely huge in this game…” UW junior forward Ryan Evans said. “There were a lot of free throws and that’s where a lot of the points were scored.”

Due in large part to the multitude of free throws, there was never any flow to the game Tuesday night. Neither team seemed comfortable on the offensive end and neither team was able to pull away when they had the chance. Ultimately, Wisconsin was able to cut down on turnovers and make their free throws, the formula necessary to win in these low-scoring games Badger fans should by now be well accustomed to.

While hopes of a Big Ten title were washed away with the Badgers’ 67-66 defeat at Iowa last week, they continue to have plenty at stake with just one game remaining on their regular season schedule. With Illinois coming to town Sunday for senior day, the Badgers still have an outside shot to overtake either Michigan or Ohio State in the standings, in turn avoiding a quarterfinal matchup with No. 20 Indiana down in Indianapolis.

More importantly, the Badgers have a chance to finally head into the postseason with momentum.

Badgers Prevail On Road, Now Need Help At Home

Sunday afternoon was what those around the Wisconsin men's basketball program had been waiting for all season. Once again coming at a point in which the Badgers' backs were squarely against the wall, the 63-60 win over then-#8/9 Ohio State was exactly what many felt this team had been capable of all season.

But for a multitude of reasons, those hopes had not yet come to fruition even with just three games remaining in the regular season. Having just gotten swept by unranked Iowa, the Badgers were in danger of losing their grip on the all-important fourth spot in the Big Ten standings, a spot that they had not once relinquished in Bo Ryan's 10-year run at the helm in Madison.

Not only did the Badgers beat Ohio State on their home floor, on Senior Day nonetheless, but they arguably beat the Buckeyes at their best. Ohio State shot nearly 70% for most of the first half, heading into the break at nearly 56% and finishing with a more than respectable 47% effort for the afternoon. UW didnt shoot lights out either, finishing just under 42% from the field and just 37.5% from beyond the arc.

But what Wisconsin finally did do was make the big plays. Especially in Big Ten play, games seem to always come down to a handful of plays that may or may not even show up in the box score.

Sunday it was two hustle plays that turned the tide for UW.

First, after Jared Sullinger got a lob underneath the basket, Jared Berggren came across to help and got a big blocked shot, a block that more importantly was followed by a hustle rebound picked up by Josh Gasser that led to Sullinger's 2nd foul and a flurry of Buckeye frustration.

Finally, with Wisconsin trailing by three and less than five minutes to go, Berggren missed a three but on the long rebound Ryan Evans hustled to save it in the corner and found a streaking Gasser at the basket for a big layup. That play kept what would ultimately be a 7-0 run that began when Sullinger left the game at the 6:42 mark and culminated with a tough jumper by Jordan Taylor that gave Wisconsin a 52-51 lead with just under four minutes to play.

Plays like those ultimately decide tight games and after not making them consistently throughout the season, UW finally put it all together in Columbus.

As Wisconsin now heads home for its final two games of the regular season, the momentum has to be maintained. Winning in Columbus means nothing if it is ultimately cancelled out by home losses to unranked opponents in either Illinois or Minnesota.

In the past, the inviolability of the Kohl Center seemed to make such upsets impossible. But this season, Wisconsin just hasnt had the home court advantage that Badger fans have become accustomed to.

Unfortunately, that lost advantage is in no small part due to a truly pathetic showing from the Grateful Red. After years of ranking among the nation's top student sections, the Grateful Red truly have failed their team this season. While it certainly didnt help that four conference home games fell during the winter break, the showings in the three games since havent been all that much improved.

Sure, they filled the place up with Ohio State in town. But honestly, that isnt anything to be proud of. That is expected when Ohio State goes anywhere, basketball school or not. The problem is that in the other two home games, the Grateful Red barely managed to fill the bottom bowl. And while it is one thing when that happens for a Sunday afternoon game against bottom-dwelling Penn State, that should never happen on a Thursday night when a ranked Indiana team comes to town.

Never.

Having been to several road games both inside and outside of conference play, I can honestly say that the Grateful Red is losing its right to be seen among the best of the best. Purdue, Illinois, Iowa: all have welcomed the Badgers with far more hostile environments than the Grateful Red have been able to reciprocate. And while somehow Wisconsin has played well in these hostile environments, posting a 6-3 conference road record, I cannot help but think that their 4-3 mark would be a whole lot better if they had the Kohl Center environment that was the norm for the better part of the past decade. College basketball teams feed off of energy and the Badgers are no exception. Unfortunately, their students are not helping them out in this matter.

Perhaps it is simply the result of complacency among the sports fans at UW. Perhaps the interest in football and men's basketball is beginning to wane now that the novelty of finally being good at the two most important sports in collegiate athletics is wearing off. Perhaps now that the UW teams are expected to win, there is no reason to go and watch.

But whatever the reason is, it is but a weak excuse. There are just two more games left in the regular season, just two more chances to head down to the Kohl Center for a game. Once they are gone, they are not coming back.

Badgers Need Taylor, Wilson Down The Stretch

Coming into the 2011-2012 season, it seemed that Wisconsin senior point guard Jordan Taylor was on the brink of cementing his place among the nation's best collegiate players. But perhaps as a result of off season ankle surgery from which Taylor does not seem to have fully recovered, the Bloomington, Minn native has not been able to live up to his preseason All-America billing.

Taylor is still leading the Badgers in both scoring and in assists, no doubt playing the pivotal role in the UW offense that he was expected to play. But after shooting 43% from both two and three-point range en route to averaging over 18 points per game in 2010-2011, Taylor has dropped to just 14.1 points per game on just 39% from the field and a measly 33.6% from beyond the arc.

More importantly, Taylor has struggled in the games Wisconsin has needed him most. At Michigan, he was 5/15 from the field with just 1 assist to 3 turnovers. At home against Ohio State, with the Badgers having a chance to take the lead in the Big Ten standings, Taylor was just 4/10 and again committed an uncharacteristic three turnovers. On the road against Michigan State, 3/13 from the field. And in Thursday night's 67-66 loss at Iowa, the senior managed just 9 points with 4 turnovers and 4 fouls.

With Wisconsin now in jeopardy of finishing outside the top four in the Big Ten for the first time during head coach Bo Ryan's time in Madison, Taylor needs to begin living up to his potential.

More importantly, Taylor needs to begin playing like a senior captain. He cannot afford to pick up early fouls and charge calls. He cannot afford to commit lazy turnovers. And above all, he cannot show the poor body language that he showed at times throughout Thursday's loss.

But having said that, the coaching staff needs to help him out. Especially given the residual impact of the ankle surgery, it is simply unrealistic to think that Taylor can be at his best while averaging nearly 36 minutes per game. The first instance of minutes clearly taking their toll was way back on December 31st at home against Iowa. Taylor played all 40 minutes in the 72-65 loss but was clearly suffering on the defensive end during the second half, a second half that saw Iowa point guard Bryce Cartwright rack up 10 points and 4 assists with Taylor on his hip. When the Badgers needed stops, Taylor was simply a step slow and the resulting penetration put UW in the hole.

If there is a silver lining to come out of the most recent loss to Iowa it is that Taylor doesnt need to play 40 minutes for the Badgers to have an offense. With Taylor down due to foul trouble, fellow senior guard Rob Wilson was forced into action and responding the way many observers of Wisconsin basketball felt that he would: 9 second-half points to help spark a 12-2 run that got the Badgers within 3 midway through the half. As expected, Ryan immediately sat him down in favor of Taylor, but the point had been made loud and clear.

As Wisconsin heads into the final three games of the regular season, needing two wins to clinch a top-4 seed in the conference tournament, this needs to become a trend. Not the four turnovers by Taylor but rather, the 29 minutes. Wilson is a viable option off the bench and in fact may be a viable option to start in place of Mike Bruesewitz, who seems much more comfortable coming off the bench for the Badgers.

UW cannot continue to rely upon big time performances from its senior point guard but at the same time, they need to start happening with more regularity. The less Taylor tries to come up with a 20 point game, the more likely it is to happen. And more importantly, the coaching staff needs to stop relying on that 20 point game in order for the Badgers to get a W. They have shown little to no willingness to develop a bench and it has already burned them in conference play. But we now know that there is a contributor ready and willing to play a role off the bench in the form of Wilson.

These two have just a few weeks left in their Badger careers. As much as Ryan preaches the importance of having seniors lead the charge, it is about time that he practice a bit more of that preaching. The bottom line is with three games left before a likely matchup with either Indiana or Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament, it is time for that senior leadership to make its mark.

Badgers Make Uncharacteristic Mistakes in Another Uncharacteristic Loss

Wisconsin men’s basketball has been told over and over again that their brand of basketball is boring. They have been told that it is bad for the game, that it is too slow, that it will never lead to a national title.

But the bottom line is that when the Badgers play so-called “Wisconsin basketball”, they usually end up on the left side of the scoreboard, to steal a line from UW head coach Bo Ryan.

On Thursday night, UW did not play “Wisconsin basketball” and that alone is why they faced a long bus ride home.

For as boring as the Badgers’ style might be, the bottom line is that it works. By focusing on dominating at the defensive end, on taking care of the ball, and on slowing down the pace, UW gives itself a chance to win each and every time they step on the floor, regardless on whether or not the shots are falling.

Thursday night in Iowa City, the shots were falling. No longer can Wisconsin fans clamor about how “if they could just hit a few threes they would have won”. They did. In fact, they outshot Iowa for the evening, finishing the game 50.9% from the field to the Hawkeye’s 48%. They hit six three pointers in just 16 attempts, a more than respectable 37.5%.

What they didn’t do was take care of the ball and defend. Eleven first half turnovers led to twelve Iowa points. This from a Badger team that entered the game on Thursday averaging just under nine turnovers a game. In a tight game, those mistakes will burn anyone.

“In the big picture, that is what probably cost us the game…” UW sophomore guard Josh Gasser said. “That’s what happens when you commit eleven turnovers in the first half. It’s a one possession game and it just comes up and bites you.”

To make matters worse, the Badgers had arguably their worst defensive performance of the season. After allowing Iowa to put up 72 points back on December 31^st at the Kohl Center, UW again struggled to contain the Hawkeyes, allowing Iowa to head into the halftime break with 43 points on a mind boggling 57.1% from the field.

Iowa senior guard Matt Gatens did a lot of that damage himself. Following up a 30 point effort last time out against Indiana, the Iowa City native hit his first six shots of the night and never looked back. When all was said and done, Gatens had himself a 33-point effort, the most by an opponent against Wisconsin since Stephen Curry had another 33-point night in the 2008 Sweet 16.

“He just got comfortable early, hit a few threes early on….” Gasser added. “You thought he would start missing a couple but he never really did.”

This was the Wisconsin team that Badger fans have worried about all season. Unable to quell the momentum of a streaking Iowa squad, the Badgers time and time again failed to get the stops that they absolutely needed to have. In the end, it was Iowa that made the big plays and thus it was Iowa that got the win.

Now the focus quickly shifts to Sunday and to a road date with Ohio State. While the Buckeyes are not exactly the opponent one would pick to play after a tough loss like this, a win in Columbus would obviously do wonders toward putting the season sweep by Iowa in the rear view mirror.

Having said that, the Badgers do not appear to be in any position to pull off the upset at this point. Since seeing their six-game win streak come to an end against Ohio State, UW has escaped a road game in Minnesota despite not scoring over the final 7:41 of regulation, lost in ugly fashion to Michigan State, escaped after yet another brutal effort at home against Penn State, and now this loss to Iowa. Wisconsin has not picked up a victory in Columbus since 2008 and it doesn’t appear that one is in the offering on Sunday.

That being said, I don’t think I was alone in thinking the same thing heading into the game at Purdue back on January 12^th. At that time, UW was coming off of an ugly three-game losing streak and heading to Mackey Arena where they had only won once since 1973.

But they got out of there with a win and kept the momentum for six games.

Ohio State is obviously a much taller task. But for whatever reason this Badger team seems to play better with their backs against the wall. Having lost three of five and in danger of falling out of the all-important top four in the Big Ten standings, that is exactly where Wisconsin finds itself as they head on the road for the final time in the regular season.

“We will prepare for them like we prepare for any game,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “We know what we are facing. We know what they are, who they are. They are a very good team needless to say.”

Ohio State is indeed a very good team, capable of being the best in the nation when they are on their game. Right now it is tough to say what or better yet, who these Badgers are.

We should find out Sunday afternoon.

Badgers Outplayed, Outhustled In Blowout Defeat

Just when it seemed as if Wisconsin men’s basketball was hitting its stride, the No. 15/17 Badgers (8-5 Big Ten, 19-7 overall) simply didn’t show up to play in Thursday night’s 69-55 loss to No. 7/8 Michigan State.

As they have done all season, the Spartans (10-3 Big Ten, 21-5 overall) ran their opponent up and down the floor all night long. After holding opposing offenses to less than five points per game on the fast break, the Badgers couldn’t stop MSU from doing what it does best, allowing the Spartans to notch 15 points in transition (all in the first half) and 16 off 10 uncharacteristic Badger turnovers.

Many will look to Wisconsin’s struggles shooting the ball (34% from the field and 5-24 from three-point range), but it was on the glass where UW found itself simply unable to compete. The Badgers allowed 8 offensive rebounds, leading to 13 2^nd chance points and a whopping 34 points in the paint for the Spartans. Michigan State didn’t need many of those second chances as they shot a staggering 52.2% from the field against a Badger defense that had been holding its opponents to just over 36% for the year.

What has to frustrate the UW coaching staff is that the Badgers were simply outhustled in East Lansing. Michigan State got seemingly every loose ball out there, capitalizing at every opportunity. For a team used to taking advantage of hustle plays in its own right, this is perhaps the most troubling aspect of the losing effort.

A step slow on defense, the Badgers allowed 8 separate “and one” opportunities, each one thrusting the dagger further into the chest of a UW team that was playing from behind virtually all night.

Spartan sophomore guard Keith Appling and senior forward Draymond Green both took advantage of the poor defensive effort by the Badgers. Both Green and Appling finished with a game-high 20 points, with Green adding a game-high 10 rebounds. The only silver lining for the Badgers was the play of junior forward Ryan Evans who followed up his first career double-double with a team-high 17 points and 7 rebounds in the losing effort.

While this loss all but eliminates Wisconsin’s hopes of a Big Ten title, the final five games of the regular season remain crucial as the Badgers try to position themselves for a high seed heading into the NCAA Tournament. By taking care of business down the stretch and in the Big Ten Tournament, the Badgers have a shot to get anywhere between a 3 and 5 seed, something that can make a huge difference in terms of making a run into the latter weekends of March.

That run begins Sunday afternoon as the Badgers host Penn State. Though the Nittany Lions gave UW all they could handle in State College back on January 31^st, they have yet to win a game away from the Bryce-Jordan Center and are 0-11 all-time at the Kohl Center.

Still, PSU guard Tim Frazier poses a threat every time he sets foot on the floor. The junior from Houston has been tearing apart Big Ten defenses to the tune of 18.5 points (2^nd in the Big Ten) and 5.0 rebounds per game. When the Badgers last faced Penn State, Frazier was on top of his game, scoring a game-high 21 points while adding 7 assists to just 2 turnovers. While Wisconsin got home with the victory, Frazier is definitely a threat to return the favor on Sunday afternoon.

But after Thursday night’s tough loss, Sunday has become all the more important for UW. The Badgers face two straight road games after their date with PSU and need to regain some of the momentum that has certainly been lost after the events that unfolded in Michigan. Wisconsin is just 3-3 at home thus far in Big Ten play and has to start taking advantage of the Kohl Center crowd with just three home games remaining.

Yet throughout Bo Ryan’s career at Wisconsin, the Badgers have made it a point to never fall into a prolonged slide. Sunday provides them with an opportunity to avoid doing just that and it is an opportunity that they must take advantage of in order to be in position to make a return trip to the Sweet 16 come March. 

Badgers Head to East Lansing Back In The Hunt

Last week might have been the border battle, but if you are looking for two schools with a lot of recent history, look no further than Wisconsin and Michigan State. Looking beyond the memorable battles on the gridiron last fall, the Badgers and Spartans have needed overtime to decide two of their last three meetings on the hardwood, the most recent coming back on January 3^rd at the Kohl Center when Ryan Evans’ 3-point shot at the end of overtime was infamously wiped off the board upon video replay.

While that tough defeat came during a stretch of three straight early season losses for the Badgers, the rematch is going to be played under far different circumstances. No. 15/17 Wisconsin (8-4 Big Ten, 19-6 overall) has won eight of ten since that loss, while Michigan State’s 58-48 defeat of Ohio State on February 11^th has put the No. 7/8 Spartans (9-3 Big Ten, 20-5 overall) in a virtual tie with the Buckeyes at the top of the Big Ten standings. However, both the Badgers and Michigan lurk just one game back in the loss column, each controlling their own destiny over the final two and a half weeks of the regular season.

Simply put, there is plenty on the line Thursday night at the Breslin Center.

“It’s definitely a good feeling {to control our own destiny} but we kind of knew someone was going to lose eventually…” UW sophomore guard Josh Gasser said. “We just have to take it one game at a time and it starts Thursday with a big one against Michigan State because they are right up there with us.”

In order to maintain control of that destiny, Wisconsin will have to shut down the Spartans’ high-octane transition game. Michigan State has averaged over 10 points per game on fast break opportunities while adding nearly 16 points per game off turnovers.

“We’ve been playing really well in transition…” Gasser added. “Anytime you can take away a couple easy transition baskets in games like this, where its usually decided by one or two possessions, its definitely huge.”

But throughout the season, Wisconsin has been second to none on stopping the transition game, holding opponents to under 5 points per game on fast break opportunities.

“Its always an emphasis. We don’t want teams to come down and get easy shots,” UW junior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “I think we have some of the best transition defense in the country and that’s something we work on.”

Led by the front line trio of senior Draymond Green, junior Derrick Nix, and sophomore Adreian Payne, the Spartans have dominated both in the paint and on the glass. MSU has outscored its opponents by over 13 points per game in the paint while posting a rebound margin of 10.2 per game.

“They take a lot of pride in doing that…” UW senior guard Jordan Taylor said. “We definitely want to outrebound them. We know they are big, but we have guys who can rebound too.”

Having already won in hostile environments at Purdue, Illinois, and just last year at Minnesota, the Badgers are more than ready for whatever the “Izzone” has in store.

“We’ve won in some tough road environments this year…” Taylor noted. “We just have to execute offensively and defensively and do whatever we can to get the win.”

A Badger win on Thursday night would truly shake things up in the Big Ten. With Wisconsin set to face Ohio State yet again in just over a week’s time, the next ten days mark just about as pivotal a stretch as any that the Badgers will face this season.

“If the juices aren’t flowing for what we’ve got coming,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “You need help.”